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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL : MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF COMMEMORATION AND DIGNITY OF THE VICTIMS OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE AND OF THE PREVENTION OF THIS CRIME

Date de publication : 2015-12-07

New
York, 9 December 2015

Today,
we observe the first-ever International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of
the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.This occasion also coincides with the anniversary of the adoption of
the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in
1948.

This is an ideal time to reaffirm our
commitment to prevent this serious international crime, honour the memory of
the victims, and reaffirm the right to remedies and reparation, as recognized
in international law.

Preventing
genocide means paying more attention to the warning signs, and being prepared
to take immediate action to address them.
This is the spirit of my Human Rights up Front initiative.

After
all, genocide does not just happen; it unfolds over time. It is not part of the accidental "fallout" of
conflict; most often, it is systematic, planned, with precise targets, and it
can also take place outside of conflict situations.

Across
the world today, intolerance and xenophobia are on the rise. A dangerous "us
versus them" dynamic is often being exploited to justify the exclusion of
communities based on different forms of identity such as religion, ethnicity or
other, and to deny assistance, restrict human rights and perpetrate atrocious
acts of violence.

The prevention of
genocide is a specific obligation under international law. The International Court of Justice and other
judicial bodies have made that very clear.
Governments must act on this imperative by investing in prevention and taking preventive
action. On this new international
observance, let us recognize the need to work together more concertedly to
protect individuals from gross human rights violations and uphold our common
humanity.